A Picnic on the 405 is a record by folk-singer John Craigie

John Craigie (musician)

John Craigie is an American singer-songwriterwho currently resides in San Francisco, CA. Hailed as a "Modern-Day Troubadour" in the style of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Craigie has been touring the United States for the past 6 years, playing in a diverse style of venues including...

. It was released in 2007 on Zabriskie Point Records. It is his fourth album, and his most involved project to date. Again being backed by The Accidental Poets, Craigie brought in a few more musicians to beef up the sound for this record. It features the return of guitarist Leland Jackness, this time on an electric guitar, which offered the album a much more rock-oriented sound. The album has been well received by fans, and has been praised by critics. While much of the album deviates from Craigie's traditional folk style, this album features the song Talkin' Orange Alert Blues

Talkin' Orange Alert Blues

Talkin' Orange Alert Blues is a song by folk-singer John Craigie, from his fourth album, A Picnic on the 405. It is one of his most popular songs, and a staple of his live shows. It is done in the standard Talking blues style popularized by Woody Guthrie, and later Bob Dylan, such as in Talkin'...

, which utilizes the traditional Talking blues

Talking blues

Talking blues is a form of country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict....

 folk style of Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...

 and Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

.

Track listing

1. "The Ice Plant Amphitheatre" – 6:01
2. "Canyon Walls" – 3:48
3. "The Ballad of John and Jill" – 4:10
4. "The Grass on Concrete Blues" – 5:46
5. "The Talkin' Orange Alert Blues" – 5:08
6. "My Own Religion" – 4:20
7. "The Male Version of You" – 6:09
8. "Closer to the Sky" – 3:11
9. "Westchester Moon" – 5:01
10. "One Sweet Duet" – 6:45
11. "Weakness" – 4:55
12. "Purple Lightning" – 5:39